Museum Strategic Plan

Goal 1: Create innovative approaches to presenting the People’s Collection and the arts. Center the People’s Collection and the arts as catalysts for creativity, dialogue, and learning, sparking inquiry, imagination, and connection as we strive to be an inspirational leader in the field of art museums.

1. Continue to grow the People’s Collection while sharing its distinctive origins and history, highlighting and encouraging human connection through gallery installations, exhibitions, storytelling, programming, tours, and publications.
2. Pilot new approaches to presenting indoor and outdoor exhibitions, focusing on interpretation, design, and programming strategies that reflect stronger cross-disciplinary collaboration; offer multi-entry, interactive experiences; and allow for dynamic, surprising storytelling.
3. Expand the Museum’s public impact through the production and distribution of open-access scholarly publications and online resources, together with active participation in professional platforms.

Goal 2: Enliven our ecosystem. Invest in sustainable, inclusive, and inspiring environments and encounters, reflecting our commitment to the stewardship of arts, nature, and people.

1. Demonstrate investment in sustainable landscapes by restoring natural habitats, improving accessibility, and increasing interpretation.
2. Revitalize the visitor arrival experience; exhibition, social, and performance spaces; and surrounding landscapes to be more vibrant, convenient, and welcoming.
3. Launch NCMA Downtown W-S and reopen NCMA W-S as havens of contemporary arts, culture, and education in Winston-Salem.
4. Build and open the Center for Art Conservation and Preservation, including the public-facing Conservation Science Studio, as the preeminent facility in the southeastern United States and expand conservation programming.

Goal 3: Extend a wide welcome. Continue to expand access to the arts and nature by fostering a welcoming culture on our campuses, across North Carolina, and in digital spaces.

1. Advance digital resources to increase access to and understanding of the People’s Collection, sparking curiosity and connection, and promoting lifelong learning across North Carolina’s 100 counties and beyond.
2. Improve physical and programmatic accessibility across campuses to create a more intuitive, universal, and comfortable experience for all visitors.
3. Introduce consistent bilingual and multilingual communications—beginning with Spanish language, American Sign Language (ASL), and braille—increasing accessibility to arts and nature.
4. Enrich existing and establish new and lasting relationships within North Carolina’s Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and with our partners, artists, and the communities we serve, deepening our outreach across the state.